ABOUT LEC

The Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC) is a Kansas City-based nonprofit working to create the conditions for Latino youth, families, and educators to thrive. Through educator pathways, student programming, family-centered supports, and community networks, LEC strengthens the relationships and resources that help Latino students succeed in school and beyond.

We are achieving this in the following 4 ways:

– Growing representation and retention of Latinx educators

– Strengthening Latinx home & school partnerships

– Increasing Latinx student empowerment

– Solidifying allies’ support for Latinx student achievement outcomes

The LEC believes that a multi-pronged approach is essential to closing the opportunity gap of Latinx students and enabling their educational success. 

There are an estimated 52,000 Latinx students in the greater Kansas City metro area. The Latinx student population in KCPS’ Kansas City Charters is 27% while in KCKPS, it is 50%. Overall, 1 in 4 K-12 students are Latinx. 

Latinx students face significant challenges in several ways: 

(1) lower graduation rates, 

(2) limited access to resources, and 

(3) lack of representation in the teaching workforce

Through LEC’s collective efforts to work with parents, schools, educators, students and partner organizations, a future where every Latinx student has the opportunity to improve their quality of life and become leaders will soon become a reality.

"The willingness of the LEC..."

"The willingness of LEC to welcome educators from across the country, that to me was extremely important. Including myself, three educators from the Baltimore area that have all participated or been featured in LEC programs. One of my student groups were also welcomed to join and participate. I think these are some of the most important characteristics of the LEC. They are welcoming, they listen, they consider other perspectives, they welcome innovation and the exchange of ideas, they create opportunities for others to shine or showcase their work."
Edwin Pérez
Educator, Baltimore, Maryland

Core Values

COMMUNITY

We build community with others!

LEC is committed to creating spaces for and with the Latinx community as well as across sectors, organizations, and lines of difference. We believe that building community is collective work that is an imperative for innovation; community is what makes change  possible.

INTEGRITY

We work in integrity!

LEC is committed to listening to and learning from others in order to develop the programs, policies, and practices that are required to ensure Latinx educators and youth thrive. We recognize that the Latinx community is not a monolith; rather an expansive community with varied life experiences that inform how they want to show up in the world.

IMPACT

We strive to impact students and educators!

LEC is committed to working with educators, families, school leaders, and the broader community to share resources, develop policies, and implement practices that support and encourage Latinx educators to stay in the profession longer.

AUTHENTICITY

We show up as our authentic selves!

LEC is committed to caring for our community by sharing, showing, and embracing our full humanity. We use the power of storytelling as a tool for learning about ourselves and each other; to highlight that our greatest power lies in the journey to discovering and embracing our truths. 

PERSONAL GROWTH

We believe in personal growth!

LEC is committed to reflection and growth in our work internally and in coalition with others. We believe that in order for us to heal we must tend to the heart and mind of everyone with whom we collaborate.

AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS

Revolucion Educativa

Revolucion Educativa is a 501(c)4 advocacy organization dedicated to creating the necessary conditions for the advancement of Latino youth. The organization builds sustained collective power in the Latino community around issues of education through policy work & community led programming at the local, state & federal levels.

Chicano Center for the Arts

Chicano Center for the Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing and uplifting aspiring Chicano/a/e and Latino/a/e artists across all genres of art. They believe in the power of art to inspire, transform, and unite communities, and their mission is to provide robust support and opportunities for artists to thrive without the burden of financial barriers.

The Latinx Education Collaborative leads from a place of inclusivity and a commitment to equity and social justice.​

OUR TEAM

Deanna Muñoz is a dedicated advocate for education and the arts, with a profound commitment to empowering Latino/a/e Chicano/a/e communities. Currently serving as the Director of Strategic Alliances for the Latinx Education Collaborative and as the Founder of the Chicano Center for the Arts, Deanna combines her passion for education equity and cultural enrichment of the arts to drive positive change.

Deanna’s leadership is characterized by her unwavering dedication, innovative thinking, and collaborative approach. She is known for her ability to bridge diverse perspectives, build consensus, and drive meaningful change. Through her work with the Latinx Education Collaborative and the Chicano Center for the Arts, Deanna is helping to create a more equitable and vibrant future for Latino/a/e Chicano/a/e communities across the nation.

deanna@latinxedco.org

 

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 Iván Ramirez is a dedicated advocate for education, community empowerment, and storytelling. He is actively engaged in initiatives that uplift the Latino community through organizations like Revolución Educativa and the Latinx Education Collaborative, hosting impactful events like Evolución Latino Education Conference, the Familias Empoderadas Summit, and the Impacto Changemaker Awards.  

As a passionate storyteller and mentor, Iván contributes to programs like Educatec Digital Literacy Series and Expresión Storytelling Fellowship, working to amplify voices and build meaningful connections. Whether hosting workshops, celebrating cultural heritage, or inspiring future leaders, Iván’s work centers on creating spaces where education, culture, and community thrive.

ivan@latinexedco.org

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Isabella Mendez serves as LEC’s Community Program Assistant.

Isabella Mendez supports LEC’s community programming, helping coordinate the events, relationships, and day-to-day details that connect educators, students, and families to the organization’s work. As Community Program Assistant, she helps keep LEC’s programs organized, welcoming, and responsive to the people they serve.

isabella@latinxedco.org

 

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Learning & Evaluation Director at City Year

Selina, a KCMO native, moved back home in July 2015 to serve with the City Year Kansas City startup team. City Year is an education nonprofit dedicated to helping students and schools succeed and currently serves in 28 cities nationally and 4 internationally. Selina graduated from William Jewell College in 2010 with a B.A. in International Relations. After graduating, she helped to start a non-profit with the Mexican Consulate on the Texas/Mexico border, serving as a Project Manager for a women’s shelter and literacy coalition. Following this, she was hired as a first-year Team Leader and then Program Manager with City Year Cleveland. In Cleveland she served as the President of the Young Latino Network and was selected for Kaleidoscope Magazine’s 2012 Top 40 under 40 Latino Professionals. Selina then served with City Year Tulsa for their Founding Year. In her 7 years with the organization Selina directly managed 55 AmeriCorps Members and led 6 school partnerships in 3 school districts. In her current role, she oversees AmeriCorps Member instructional training and the collection and analysis of impact data. Outside of City Year Selina volunteers as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sister, serves on the Board of Directors for Uncover KC and is on the steering committee for Amplify, a conference focused on empowering educators of color.

President & CEO at El Centro, Inc.

Irene received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. After graduating from college, she developed children and youth programs for nonprofit organizations including El Centro and Wyandotte Mental Health Association in Wyandotte County. Caudillo is currently President/Chief Executive Officer for El Centro, the agency she started her nonprofit career with, where she oversees the day to day operations for the agency. Caudillo is a member of numerous community boards including the Wyandotte Health Foundation, KU Advancement Board, CHWC and the University of St. Mary. She has received numerous honors for her work, including named by City Union Mission as one of five women in 2010 as the recipient of Women who Changed the Heart of the City award, the 2015 NFL’s Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award, and the 2015 Donnelly College’s Delta Award. Irene is married and the proud parent of three children.

Director of Language Services and Cultural Equity at Kansas City Public Schools

Allyson Hile is in her seventh year as Director of Language Services and Cultural Equity for Kansas City Public Schools and her 19th year in education. Previous to her current position, she served as an ESL Resource Teacher for five years, a sheltered middle school ESL Social Studies teacher for six years and a bilingual paraprofessional. Ms. Hile has also taught graduate level courses for the TESL program at Webster University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Truman State University, her teaching certification from Avila University and her Master of Science in Education from the University of Kansas. She is a Centurions alum (class of 2018), a leadership program of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and Leading Educators, class of 2011. She currently serves on the boards of Jewish Vocational Services and the Linwood YMCA.

Assistant Superintendent at Kansas City Public Schools

Navigating many systems to best disrupt the inequalities in education, Trinity served as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, Associate Professor, and Assistant Superintendent. Knowing a majority of classroom teachers were white and female, Trinity worked to recruit Black teachers which resulted in an article in the Advocate, Recruiting Minority Teachers: Benefitting all students (2010). She led a charge to bring students of color to the College of Education to learn about the importance of being classroom teachers. She founded the Urban Suburban Experience (USE) minor to expose white teachers from rural areas to large districts. She created a guide to teaching morphemic analysis, Prerootix, for classroom teachers to increase vocabulary through Greek and Latin roots with a goal of increasing ACT scores. Trinity and her husband, Ed, developed a summer program in her hometown of Parsons, KS to teach history, morphemic analysis, and accountability to black students.

Trinity holds a Bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State University, Master’s Degree from Emporia State University, and PhD from Kansas State University. She currently serves on boards for Avila University, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and she chairs the Missouri Program for Educational Renewal Operational Council.

Director of Leader Support and Development, Education Leaders of Color (EdLOC)

Patrice is the Director of Leader Support and Development at Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC). In this role she designs and delivers professional development opportunities, builds community and encourages values-driven action among a cadre of high-level Black and Latino education leaders across the country.

Prior to joining EdLoC, Patrice served as Associate Director of NYC Men Teach, a mayoral initiative aimed at increasing the number of men of color in the pipeline to become NYC public school teachers. Patrice has also served as Director of K-12 programs for Bell Curves LLC, where she oversaw the work to bring equity to the landscape of test preparation for underserved youth in NYC, as well as Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston and Atlanta.

CEO, Getting Smart

Tom Vander Ark is an advocate for innovations in learning. As CEO of Getting Smart, he advises school districts and networks, education foundations and funders and impact organizations on the path forward. A prolific writer and speaker, Tom is author of Getting Smart; Smart Cities That Work for Everyone; Smart Parents; and Better Together. He has published thousands of articles, co-authored and contributed to more than 50 books and white papers. He writes regularly on GettingSmart.com, LinkedIn, and contributes to Forbes. 

Previously, Tom served as the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He also served as a public school superintendent in Washington state and has extensive private sector experience. Tom co-founded the first education venture fund, Learn Capital. Tom is a board member of Education Board Partners, Director for 4.0 Schools, Digital Learning Institute, and eduInnovation and Advisor for One Stone, Teton Science Schools and Whittle School & Studios. 

Tom received the Distinguished Achievement Medal and graduated from the Colorado School of Mines. He earned an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Denver, and continues his education online.

Founder, Amplify Equity

Dr. Kelly Ocasio founded Amplify Equity as a vehicle to drive equity-centered transformation across our schools and communities. She approaches her work through a critical lens, understanding that schools and systems perpetuate the inequity that is baked into the tapestry of our culture. Kelly is an educator, coach, facilitator, experience designer, and capacity-builder who partners with educators, leaders, and organizations striving to transform their systems toward equity and justice. Her passion for this work is grounded in her personal identities and lifetime experience of  navigating the world as a “cultural border-crosser.” As a multi-racial, bi-cultural, bi-sexual, and cisgender woman, she knows first-hand what it feels like to never fully “fit” into a mold. She has seen the lack of equity and justice play out in our education (and broader) system first-hand and is driven to tackle the system head-on to enact transformational change. She is a systems-thinker who understands and leverages individuals through a collective impact approach to systems-change. Equity-centered transformation requires both dispositional (mindset) shifts AND technical (culture, practices, and structure) shifts. She is a relationship-builder who believes in the power of interpersonal connections to impact broader change. Change happens through people and we have the power to create the just & equitable systems we desire.

 

Kelly has experience across the P-20 pipeline, from being an elementary dual language teacher to working in higher education administration and state education leadership. She holds a BS in Elementary Education and Spanish from UW-Madison and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the UT – San Antonio. She also holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis and Curriculum & Instruction from UW-Madison, focusing her research on Latinx teachers’ pathways into education and identifying the opportunities and barriers to the Latinx community pursuing a career in teaching.

Founder, JUST Systems

Cecilia Belser-Patton is the founder of JUST Systems, where her work focuses on restorative practices, equity, cultural competency, and systems change. An educator, organizer, and facilitator, she brings deep experience in leadership development, community-centered education, and justice-focused systems work to LEC’s board.